Commit Yourself to God (1 Peter 4:19)

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

When we are suffering in the will of God, we can commit ourselves into the care of God. Everything else that we do as Christians depends on this.

I. Deposit your life in God’s bank.

A. You receive eternal dividends on your investment.

This picture reminds us that we are valuable to God. He made us, redeemed us, lives in us, guards, and protects us.

If you walk into any bank in town they will all have something that points to their financial stability and the backing of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. But when you “deposit” your life with God, you have nothing to fear; for He is able to keep you.

B. Be constantly committing

This commitment is not a single action but a constant attitude. How do we do this?

“By means of well doing.” As we return good for evil and do good even though we suffer for it, we are committing ourselves to God so that He can care for us. This commitment involves every area of our lives and every hour of our lives.

II. Do we really have hope?

A. Do we believe in the promises?

If we do then we will obey His Word and start laying up treasures and glory in heaven. Unsaved people have a present that is controlled by their past, but Christians have a present that is controlled by the future.

In our very serving, we are committing ourselves to God and making investments for the future. We are to follow Christ’s example, by committing the out-come into God’s hands.

B. An illustration of this truth.

The Prophet Jeremiah had been telling the people that one day their situation would change and they would be restored to their land. But at that time, the Babylonian army occupied the land and was about to take Jerusalem.

Jeremiah’s cousin, Hanamel, gave Jeremiah an option to purchase the family land which was now occupied by enemy soldiers. The prophet had to “put his money where his mouth is.” And he did it! As an act of faith, he purchased the land and became, no doubt, the laughingstock of the people in Jerusalem. But God honored his faith because Jeremiah lived according to the Word that he preached.

III. faithful Creator.

A. God the Creator meets the needs of His people.

It is the Creator who provides food and clothing to persecuted Christians, and who protects them in times of danger. When the early church was persecuted, they met together for prayer and addressed the Lord as the “God, which has made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.” They prayed to the Creator!

Believers are in good hands, not with a human insurance agency, but with an all-loving and faithful God who has cared for us from the beginning. He asks us to commit ourselves to Him, our faithful Creator.

B. The committed believer can continue to do good.

This means doing those things God views as good. The believers to whom Peter addressed these words had not rejected their Christian faith. They had not stopped living out their faith. Perhaps they were beginning to feel weary and to weaken in their resolve. They needed encouragement to depend on God’s care and the will to keep on keeping on.

Our Heavenly Father is “the Lord of heaven and earth”. With that kind of a Father, we have no need to worry! He is the faithful Creator, and His faithfulness will not fail. There is nothing for us to fear if we are suffering in the will of God. Our faithful Father-Creator will victoriously see us through!